♪ practice makes perfect. performers and organizers are putting the finishing touches for tonight's big show on the mall. how to avoid the traffic problems the national tree lighting may cause. welcome to news 4 midday, i'm barbara harrison. >> i'm keith russell. it's december 6th, 2012. in a matter of hours, the first

family will flip the switch to the giant blue spruce. megan mcgrath is there where crews are getting ready for the ceremony. the tradition started in 1923 and never gets old. >> reporter: never gets old and it's ever changing. there are a lot of changes this year. you can see the national christmas tree, the lights are on, the ornaments are on. it didn't lit. it will happen later on tonight. shortly after 5:00, the president and his family will flip the switch. the performers are doing their thing. they are tweaking the stage lights. we have heard the singers and musicians practicing. getting in one last rehearsal to make sure it's perfect for today's big show. ♪ rue doll the red nosed reindeer ♪ >> reporter: one final performance before the show. phillip phillips, the "american

idol" winner. also performing, the fray. ♪ >> reporter: the singer says he was stunned when president barack obama approached him about coming to washington. >> i was here for an event and the president said hey, we got to get you up here to play a song. i'm like okay. mikhail enradar is free. >> this is the 90th annual lighting of the christmas tree. the tradition started by calvin coolidge as president barack obama and his family flip the switch. the spirit of the evening is the same, the audience may notice changes. the stage has been moved. >> the backdrop is exsen waited by the tree. the white house and executive office building.

really showcases many of the features we have here in president's park. >> reporter: the tree itself is new. the blue spruce was destroyed by wind in 2011. the replacement also died. in october, the current tree was planted. all indications are that it's doing well. we are told the lighting scheme on the tree changed. if you were here last year, expect it to be different. the ornaments are different. they changed the lights themselves. they mix it up from year-to-year. for a lot of folks, it's a tradition to come every year with their families. if you are coming, you have to have a ticket. this is not a situation where you can come down here. many years ago, you could come for standing only room tickets. that is not the case this year. you have to have a ticket. all of them have been given out at this point. they are going to open the gates at 3:00 this afternoon. keep in mind you have to go through security. the president, his family, other dignitaries are going to be

here. security will be tight. rule of thumb is bring things you could get into an airport to go through airport security with. you might want to bring blankets and warm clothes because it is going to be chilly. we have been listening to the performances, practice rehearsals all morning long. reporting live, megan mcgrath, news 4. back to you. >> a big production for a big night. thanks. >> if you don't have the tickets, don't worry, storm 4 meteorologist doug kammerer is going to be there. look for the live report starting at 4:00 on news 4. we'll be there. the ceremony could make a mess of traffic tonight. starting at 4:15, 15th street will be closed. 17th street will be closed between constitution and new york avenues. they will reopen at 7:00. it was colder when we got up this morning. did you feel how chilly it was?

>> i heard the reports from tom kierein earlier today. >> hey, tom. >> the sky looks great, doesn't it? there's a live view from the nbc 4 city camera shows a few whispy high clouds. what a dramatic drop from where we were 36 or so hours ago when it was around 70 degrees. we drop this morning down into the 20s, a nearly 40 to 45 degree drop. it's going above freezing. it's hovering in the upper 30s to around 40 around the area. it includes montgomery, prince george's, arlington and fairfax counties. here is the wider view. other temperatures still in the mid-30s in much of western maryland. southern maryland from fredericksburg and the northern neck on the eastern shore around 40 degrees now. as we take a look at the view from space, we have a few high

clouds coming through. they will be with us from time-to-time throughout afternoon. i'll have the forecast for the lighting ceremony. we look at the forecast tomorrow and the afternoon coming up in a few minutes. keith? >> a messy morning on the beltway after a pineapple truck overturned on the outer loop near 270. lanes of the highway were closed for hours as they empty the produce into another truck. the delays stretched nine miles. the question is, is that accident clear now? >> a pineapple truck? >> a pineapple truck. juicy. >> danella, do you know anything about it? >> i have been covering it all morning long. guess what, the right lane is blocked. traveling the outer loop of the beltway. you can get on i-270. as you continue the right lane is blocked. there's good news. the truck is no longer overturned. it is shortly, hopefully looking to clearing soon. let's talk delays. as you make your way past

connecticut avenue, you hit the breaks. closer to i-270, you slow down. none of the eight mile back up stuff. when i come back, we talk about i-66. barbara, over to you. >> thanks. new today, metro is presenting reports of the transit system detailing changing the system on the silver line. the primary reason to extend how far silver line cars will run. the main concern, the area where trains could turn around at the station is too small they say and can't be upgraded to meet safety standards. silver line cars will run all the way out to largo town center. metro says the change will cost $4.6 million in the first year and it will reduce the number of orange and blue line trains eliminating rush plus service on that line. today is a huge day for same-sex couples in maryland.

today getting a license has become reality. tony tull saw happy folks take a huge step toward saying i do. >> reporter: yeah, keith. you know, truly a historic day for maryland. we actually got a chance to catch up with the first same-sex couple to apply for the marriage license. i can't begin to explain the pure joy and happiness they were experiencing. as of now, they were the only ones applying. as the day goes on, they won't be the last. >> i'm not hurting anybody. i just want to marry my girlfriend that i love. >> reporter: it's a big day for elizabeth. she and her girlfriend become the first couple to apply for a marriage license. wearing her engagement ring she tells news 4 how happy she is that this roller coaster of emotions is finally coming to an end. >> everyone is smiling at me. it's so bizarre.

i never thought this would happen. >> reporter: the license is not effective until january 1st. they cannot issue a marriage certificate until january 2nd, if you choose to wait until after the holiday. >> reporter: maryland voters passed the question with a 52% to 48% vote. it's another victory for elizabeth and her girlfriend that have been fighting this equality for generations. >> it seems like a continuation of the trail blazing of my life. be out. marching in parades. this is super awesome. >> reporter: it was a monumental moment walking out with her completed certificate. >> here it is. the thing i never thought i would have. a marriage license for me and my girlfriend. >> reporter: how are you feeling now? >> i am blown away. i didn't think it would ever

happen. it's taking awhile to sink in. it's great to be normal. >> reporter: we saw the president of the maryland circuit court clerk said two-thirds of maryland's circuit courts will participate in the marriage certificates. tony tull, news 4. >> joyous is the best way to describe that scene you showed us. thanks. >> reporter: absolutely. >> 11:10 is the time. coming up, the effort to end the 20--month-old civil war. we have news on the meetings secretary of state hillary clinton attended in dublin. >> why president obama is headed to virginia suburbs today. if you can help give gifts to the homeless, call our holt line. pat lawson muse will join us in a few minutes with more information on how

a developing story this morning in the ongoing conflict in syria. world leaders are warning the syrian government not to use deadly chemical weapons on its own people. u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton met with a top syrian leader in ireland in hopes of stopping the violence. they are preparing the chemicals for a deadly nerve gas to be put into bombs that could be dropped from the sky. the military is waiting on the word from president assad to fire. a duchess of cambridge is resting, we understand. she left the london hospital this morning. kate smiled and carried a bouquet of yellow flowers as prince william escorted her to the car. he visited her daily since she was in the hospital. the palace released the

statement thanking the staff for the care and treatment of the duchess. today we begin 12 days of giving. for the next 12 days, we will profile nonprofits working to change lives in our area. we will give you the opportunity to help them. here is pat lawson muse with information on an organization that is serving the homeless. pat? >> hi, barbara. gifts for the homeless is making sure the homeless are getting the clothes they need to stay warm this winter. if you can help gift for the homeless, the phone bank volunteers are standing by to take your calls. they need donations. to tell us why, we are with the gifts for the homeless. thanks for being with us. you are giving the gift of warmth. tell us about your gift. >> sure. it's a 100% volunteer organization that collects clothes once a year for distribution to all the shelters in the washington region.

we are also the only source of new clothing for many shelters. we purchase it and distribute it to the area. >> you had a big distribution over the weekend? >> we did. this past weekend we had 300 volunteers who collected and distributed clothing to shelters. >> the shelters are your recipient organization. david, i'm sure it helped a lot of people who were happy to get those. >> it's wonderful for us. they bring a large quantity and good quality. you can count on it and plan your distribution. you know what you are going to receive. >> tell us about the people who are receiving. >> we have a wide variety. we have seniors, we have children, we have families. a large number of hispanics are coming to us for help. we spread it throughout the community. >> you need donations. >> yes. we do. we are a unique type of

non-profit. we pay all of our own expenses. anyone in your audience who donates can be confident 100% of their donation is used to buy clothing for the homeless. we bundle all the donations together to get great bulk prices. this week we spent $76,000 buying jeans, blankets, coats and hats for as little as $8 each for the coats. >> gifts for the homeless is the organization. if you can help, call the hot line. 202-885-4949. we'll be back later. barbara? >> thank you, pat. >> storm 4 meteorologist tom kierein joins us with a look at the forecast. a chilly one today. >> santa called me. >> what did he say? >> i'm coming to washington. i'm going to be there -- i'm going to be there for this tree lighting and i want to make sure we have good, cold weather. my reindeer get very irritable when it's warm.

>> well, you delivered. >> i delivered this morning. yesterday, i was at this school in fairfax county, old creek elementary school and talked to the second graders there. had a terrific time. talked about all types of weather. they yelled up big words to me. tell us about evaporation and condensation and precipitation. these are second graders. they had a unit on weather. they knew about the types of weather. we talked about paying attention to the forecast when weather gets severe. in the back is the teacher who invited me to talk to these terrific stunlts at the old creek elementary school in fairfax. a couple days of 70 degree temperatures do in december? it makes the forzit ya bloom. it bloomed yesterday. this was taken in rockville, maryland. posted to

weather@nbcwashington.com. send your pictures in and we'll share. there's the sky over washington. 40 at reagan national. we have a little bit of a light breeze now. we have lots of sunshine. look how cold it is. all the areas in the dark blue are in the 30s. below freezing in west virginia. in the 30s for much of pennsylvania and western maryland. the lighter blue is beginning to climb in the upper 30s and 40s. reagan national, there's the view from space. high clouds drifting in with the west. we'll have increasing clouds sweep in from the area. it's going to move in as we get into this evening coming from disturbances producing rain from the midwest. over the next 24 to 36 hours, we'll have the cloud cover coming in. these areas in green are potential sprinkles that may move in tomorrow morning and midday friday. as we get into the weekend, cloudiness around for the weekend. a slight chance for sprinkles for the weekend.

for the afternoon, partly cloudy and chilly. temperatures reaching mid-40s by mid afternoon and low 40s late afternoon for the lighting ceremony. santa and the reindeer will be happy. those at the mall and the white house for the tree lighting ceremony, around 40 degrees for the tree lighting time by late afternoon when it gets dark. this evening, it will hold steady in the upper 30s by midnight with increasing clouds and a light win. then tomorrow morning, near freezing. a lot of clouds on friday warming to 50 in the afternoon. there is a slight chance of sprinkles, perhaps morning midday on friday. over the weekend, cloudy saturday. milder. 40s in the morning. highs around 60 or so. sunday, looks to be still cloudy, maybe a few scattered sprinkles around. monday, seven day outlook. might get showers. after that, clearing out. cooling down. that is the way it looks. bundle up if you are heading to the ellipse for the tree

lighting ceremony. it's going to be cold. >> the kids use condensation and precipitation. did they use alleviation? alleviate us from this cold. >> they want it. they are hoping for snow. >> okay. >> yeah. >> thank you, tom. let's see how the regular cars and trucks are moving out there. there's a sleigh heading into town tonight. >> the regular cars are moving slow on i-66 eastbound. the tractor trailer is in the right shoulder lane. it was blocking the right lane. you are seeing a delay eastbound on 66. let's head, check travel speeds. 13 minutes. not bad. just a little under speed. westbound, because road work past fairfax is blocking the left lane. you have to stick to the right to get by that. barbara and keith? >> thanks, danella. 11:21 is the time. how to bring old world traditions to your home this holiday. a workout planned for the

holidays and how to get through this stressful time of year. first, let's take a look at what's hot on www.nbcwashington.com. there is no mass-produced human.

so we created the extraordinarily comfortable sleep number experience. a collection of innovations designed around a bed with dualair technology that allows you to adjust to the support your body needs. each of your bodies. our sleep professionals will help you find your sleep number setting. exclusively at a sleep number store. this holiday season, give the gift that's magical: the innovative airfit adjustable pillow at special 30% savings.

introduce us to your partner here. >> this is pa pri shah. she's in awesome shape. >> tell us about the workout you are going to perform.

>> the work out, first of all, this is a warm up. this is jump the rope. during the holidays, you put on extra pounds. we are trying to show you how to burn them off. >> i'm backing up. she'll whip me. >> i'm okay. >> keep going. >> what is this working? >> jumping rope, it allows you to get your cardiogoing. you turn it from the wrest, not the shoulders and lock the ab in. pushing up on the calf, you are working your calf. >> this could be a total body workout? >> total body. hips, abs, cal vs. >> are we going to do a squat? >> yeah. we are doing a double up. it shows how we work the quads and come up and bring the weights out and work the shoulders. you are working the hips, quads and abs, but shoulders. a lot of women talk about this part of the arm. >> a lot of women talk about

this flap. >> it works the shoulder. it gives you that nice v look. >> what do we do for the arms? >> the triaccept kick back. go from here to a shoulder press. go right to a shoulder press. >> let's move quickly to the push up. >> you are going to love this one. this is a jump squat push up. up, push down. >> this is like military training. >> do two of these, you burn out. you tell someone you want to do ten. do two or three and you are burned out. >> it gets your heart rate up. >> the wellness tip of the week. >> we are going to engage in the spirit. >> what spirit. >> a little bit. when you are doing that, make sure you drink water after you take a drink. after you finish your party, walk for 30 minutes to let that

stuff diffuse through the system. >> walk right to the bedroom. >> 30 minutes. >> thank you so much. >> thank you. >> great ideas for keeping the pounds off this holiday season. coming up, it's 11:28 here. president obama is traveling to northern virginia in a few hours. we'll tell you how the trip is part of the effort to avoid the fiscal cliff. plus, we are back to more december-like weather. tom kierein lets us know if it's here to stay. >> if you can help with gifts for the homeless, call our volunteers now. pat lawson muse will be back in a few minutes with more information on how this group helps the homeless in washington.

right now, a news 4 midday, performers are getting in their last rehearsal for the christmas tree liging. this is the 90th year for the

ceremony. the first family will help president obama light the giant blue spruce. the ceremony begins at 5:00. for the first time in maryland state history, same-sex couples are receiving marriage licenses. they approved it last month. the licenses will be valid on new year's day. it's the day they will be able to get married in maryland. new today, a republican u.s. senator is leaving his seat. south carolina senator jim demint is resigning to become president of the heritage foundation. the 61-year-old was elected to the senate back in 2004. republican governor, nikki haley will appoint his successor. plunging off the fiscal cliff would mean higher taxes for everyone. today, president obama hopes to highlight the impact of the reality when he visits the home of a northern virginia family this afternoon.

at the same time, members of the congress are getting out of town. tracie potts has more on the stalling fiscal cliff talks. >> reporter: lawmakers getting out of washington today while they can. >> eric cantor, house republicans talk about forcing members to be in town through the christmas holiday if a deal is not done before then. >> leave us alone! >> reporter: these are some of the frustrated constituents they will face on what can happen if social security jobs are cut. >> it's going to be backlogged and disability is going to skyrocket. processing time is going to skyrocket. lines out the door in our offices. >> reporter: they get advice when economists testify. plus, more fallout from what the treasury secretary tells cnbc could happen if there's no deal. >> administration prepared to go over the fiscal cliff?

>> absolutely. >> reporter: there's one small sign of progress. a republican source says president obama and house speaker john boehner spoke by phone. >> we need a response from the white house. we can't negotiate with ourselves. >> the hold upright now is that speaker boehner took a position, i think the day after the campaign that said we're willing to bring in revenue, but not willing to increase rates. >> reporter: gridlock, 26 days and counting. no word on what the president and speaker boehner discussed. given the fact there's not a lot of progress, just the fact they were on the phone represents a small development. tracie potts, nbc news, washington. new information into vincent gray's campaign. sources tell "the washington post" some of his campaign staff hid donations. it cites people familiar with the probe.

city employees and contractors were promised their contributions would not be reported. it goes against finance laws. the donations are different from an illegal shadow campaign that raised more than $600,000 for mayor vincent gray. new this morning, d.c. firefighters are trying to figure out what sparked flames in this apartment building. it started around 1:30 around minnesota avenue. fortunately, no one was hurt. at least three families had to find another place to sleep last night. also new this morning, one person is in the hospital after a condo fire in alexandria. we are told at least one person was taken to the hospital with burns and smoke inhilation. the cause of the fire is under investigation. >> let's check in with tom kierein with the latest on the forecast. >> he's outside on the storm team 4 weather deck. tom? >> i like it.

it feels invigorating. it's brisk. we have a gentle breeze of gorgeous blue sky, lots of sunshine. it's going to stay cold here throughout the rest of the afternoon. if you plan ongoing to the national tree lighting, which we are seeing off in the distance, it's going to be cold. it's just after sunset. it's going to be back down to upper 30s to around 40, which is where we are now. between now and then, temperatures should manage to make it up into perhaps mid to upper 40s over the next couple hours. you can see there's cloudiness closing in from the west coming from the ohio valley. there's a disturbance there getting closer bringing in clouds. tomorrow morning, around freezing. the latter part of the morning goes on into the afternoon, we get above freezing and scattered sprinkles. then on saturday, milder up in the low 60s. clouds around. sunday might get sprinkles in the 50s.

greater chance of rain on monday. after that, we dry out and cool down midweek next week. that is the way it looks. keith? >> tom, it's a rare glimpse ott world after dark. nasa released black marble images. you might be familiar with ones like these taken during the day, blue marble photos. getting a picture this clear is rare because of cloud cover and seasonal changes. >> that's great. let's check on the traffic. >> is the news great out there? >> a little bit better. i would like to say a lot better. the beltway was jammed. right now, a brief delay at rockville as you pass rockville pike and get closer to the tractor trailer crash. it's still blocking the right lane on i-270. crossing the american legion bridge is clear. once you get across the bridge, the right lane is blocked by

road work. 66 eastbound at nutley, the tractor trailer is blocking the right shoulder. the travel lanes are open. back to you. >> thanks. a fairfax county woman will have to remove her negative review of a contractor. she complained about repairs on her town home on yelp. she said some of her jewelry disappeared and the contractor had the only other key to her home. the judge says that goes too far and has to remove the jewelry accusation. >> people have the right to write an honest report. when it's negative and untrue, it's not fair. >> perez chose not to talk after the hearing. they are considering filing an appeal. this is a preliminary injunction over the $750,000 defamation lawsuit. life changing news about a

popular treatment drug. it turns out taking the drug for a long period of time can save lives. a study shows women who took it for five years had a third less chance of dying from the disease. the new study found the risk is cut in half if they took the drug for ten years. the finding is significant. >> it's highly significant. couldn't be a chance finding. the study has nearly 700,000 women in six countries. it's based on big numbers. >> there are possible side effects including hot flashes, blood clots. many doctors say the risks are not enough to offset the benefits. more now on what we have been talking about all morning. let's go to pat lawson muse for the 12 days of giving. >> this is the first of the 12 days of giving. you can help give the gift of

warmth. call 202-889-4949. the story about the new york police officer who bought shoes, boots for the man on the street generated a lot of attention. if you want to help someone on the street, what is the best way to do it? >> the best way to help the homeless is to make a donation now to gifts for the homeless by going to our website. we use 100% of every dollar donates to buy new clothing and blankets for 70 area shelters in the washington area including central mission. >> how many homeless do you estimate are on the streets here in washington? >> the figures i have seen vary from 12,000 to 13,000 in the washington area. over the course of the year, around 4,000 on a given night. >> if you buy them a pair of shoes, you don't help? >> you are meeting immediate need. we like to introduce ourselves

to that person through the shoes and then begin to hold an approach to meet all of their needs, clothing, food, housing. then later on, job opportunities or training for a job. >> you have said and we know the economy impacted donations, you think the election impacted -- >> this is my third presidential election. we find that our giving goes down beginning in september, significantly in october and november and then we try and recover in december. >> okay. is that what we are trying to do here today? >> it is. we have an acute need for new clothing and warm blankets for the homeless. the fiscal cliff issue has people hesitant about what to do with their finances. we hope people know there are a lot of desperate needs. >> the need is for donations. they collected and distributed blankets and warm coats.

they need you to give. also, log on to gfsh.org to learn more about that organization. there's a link to them on our website, www.nbcwashington.com. barbara? >> thanks, pat. still ahead, people are secretly doing their holiday shopping. i'll tell you where. plus, the battle of the beltway has this region torn. we'll explain. [ male announcer ] this commercial is not about getting fios;

it's about getting fios. that moment after you finally got it, that you actually get it. when you can see blades of artificial grass in their full glory, you get it. or the first time you download a two-hour movie in two minutes, you get it. because once you've got it, you get it. now you can get fios for an amazing price online, just $79.99 a month with a two year agreement. act now and you'll also get $300 back. hurry. thiholiday deal ends soon. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities go to got2getfios.com. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. once you've got it, you get it.

every human being is unique. and there is one store that recognizes it. the sleep number store. the only place in the world you'll find... the extraordinarily comfortable sleep number experience. an exclusive collection of innovations that totally individualize your sleep. perfectly comfortable pillows that adjust to your size and shape. temperature-balancing bedding. dual warmth comforters. all designed around the sleep number bed: a bed with dual-air technology that allows you to adjust to the support your body needs. each of your bodies. in the name of human individuality: the sleep number collection. discover how our sleep professionals can individualize your sleep experience. exclusively at one of our 400 sleep number stores nationwide. sleep number. comfort individualized. this holiday season, give the gift that's magical: the innovative airfit adjustable pillow at special 30% savings.

howard county executive is offering up a friendly wager ahead of sunday's redskins/ravens showdown. >> if somehow you sneak a victory, which i can't imagine happening, even though you got lucky this past week, i will proudly wear an rgiii jersey for an entire day. >> he says if the ravens win, he wants baker to wear the jersey

of their defensive end. at work, on a friday. if he loses, he be wear the redskins jersey of rgiii. baker wants to up the ante. he'll reveal his terms of the deal. rgiii is getting a call from the hall of fame. the rookie ran for 72 yards in that game. it helped him break the single season record for rushing by a quarterback with 714 yards. cam newton set the previous record last year. griffin said it is awesome. he hopes it's the first step in a long career. invasion of privacy or creative marketing? according to a patent application, the company is trying to create a device like a

dvr to record your every move. some say the device crosses the line. a contributor says many of us use this kind of technology. >> just the idea we would all carry around gps devices in our pocket, checking into locations. that would seem creepy five years ago. now, everybody is doing it. >> i want to enjoy my show. when i fall asleep, not worry about someone watching me fall asleep. >> verizon would not comment on the patent. the number of people seeking unemployment aid fell sharply last week. let's check in with cnbc. hampton joins us live with more on that and the rest of the day's business headlines. >> how you doing? it's one of the reasons stocks are trading in positive territory. a day ahead of the november jobs reports. the dow is up 22 points at

13057. nasdaq up one 2995. s&p up. weekly claims for unemployment fell by 25,000 to 370,000. the new numbers are back in the range of what they were before superstorm sandy. looking ahead to tomorrow's jobs reports, superstorm sandy could subtract 75,000 jobs. the consensus forecast of 93,000 jobs with unemployment holding steady at 7.9%. apple ceo tim cook says mac computers will be made in america next year. he's not telling which one or where the plant will be lilt. in an interview with brian williams, cook says the consumer electronics world never had a big production presence in the u.s. apple stocks posted the wst drop in four years yesterday

losing 35 million in market capitalization due to concerns about strong demands for tablet users made by their rival. the share is up $9 a share. finally, it turns out santa may be in the john while he's making out his list and checking it twice. 16% of mobile device owners do much of their holiday shopping in the bathroom. apparently men do it more than women or were more willing to admit it after all. keith? >> hopefully santa doesn't flush away my gift. thank you. >> bye-bye. the freddy mac foundation held the sixth adoption expo bringing in experts to answer questions by folks looking to adopt. i was there and got a chance to talk about the wednesday's child

program. hear from families whose families have grown because of the program. the ballroom was packed with people. many said they got interested because of wednesday's child. >> you planted the seed for us to think about adoption. we adopted our first. >> we came here because we adopted our first child in 2007. he's turning six. we wanted to come here and see what's here. >> the freddy mac foundation came to help. >> we have been working hard to find homes for children in foster care, really all over the country for the past 20 years. there are plenty of more children that need to find homes. we are going to keep at them. >> reporter: one mom was here for the very first expo. i was here in kindergarten. >> some say they came because they always thought they might like to adopt some day.

>> my dream was to have a little girl. >> we have been passionate about adoption. we saw some advertising and thought let's stop by and get some information, if nothing else. >> this little guy was born to karen and matthew, who are thinking of adopting the next time around. >> we think we know what to do. people that do this for a living said we should come down and learn more about the process. >> do you want a brother of sister for evan? >> yes. >> his name is dakota matthew. >> how did he become a part of your family? >> there the grace of adoption. we had to wait a year and a half. >> they say dakota was worth the wait. you want more? >> that's why we are here. >> grapgss. >> if you have room in your home and heart for a child who is waiting, call the special

adoption hot line 888-to adopt me. >> you have done a wonderful job with that program. a lot of people benefited from you. >> thank you for saying that. we look forward to more kids being adopted this year. >> coming up, holiday food traditions from around the world. >> tom kierein will be back with another check on the much colder weather we are having. stay with us. we'll be right back.

in today's weekend scene, a look at holiday food traditions from around the world. we are here with examples to find locally. i love this from italy. the feast of the seven fishes. they do it on christmas eve, i think. >> right. it's a feast that features seafood. if you are looking to do it yourself this year, head to the italian store.

there's a great shop in arlington. they have traditional foods and spices and ingredients you need. they have lots of sweets. if you want someone else to take care of the dessert, they have someone else to do that. >> i love that tradition. christmas tea service that's somewhere from some country. where is that from? >> england. if you want to celebrate a christmas tea like will and kate might, you can do it here at the british pantry. it's a cool cafe where they have a christmas tree service for $35. they do things like mince pie served with brandy butter and scones. >> oh, good. i like the lemon curd they have there. there's a warm cocktail from denmark. tell us about that. >> it's called glug. it's made with mulled wine. it's a great thing to drink in the wintertime. it's a traditional danish drink

served through the holidays. you can get it through the columbia room through december 13th. room 11 in columbia heights does it for $8 a glass. >> we should have welcomes you with one today. >> afterwards. >> great to see you. >> thanks. for more ideas for your weekend, log on to www.nbcwashington.com orr the going out guide at washingtonpost.com. >> let's look at the stories we are following on news 4 this afternoon with pat lawson muse in the news room with a preview of things to come. coming up today, a warning about a dangerous new drug that is growing in popularity. it's legal here in the u.s. doctors say it comes with serious risk. you'll want to see that story. a study about the uv lamps that dry your nails at the salon. is that light safe for your nails? flipping the switch on the national christmas tree, it's the day we all wait for yearly. you have seen this year's

performers rehearsing. tonight, watch the big moment live on news 4 at 5:00. see you then. will the weather hold, tom? >> the big event is going on at 5:00 or so this afternoon. it's going to be in the low 40s after we hit mid and upper 40s over the next couple hours. warm for the weekend. sprinkles. >> thank you. >> that's news 4 midday. tune in at 4:00, 5:00 and 6:00. >> see you tomorrow for news 4 midday. see you in the morning. [ male announcer ] this commercial is not about getting fios; it's about getting fios. that moment after you finally got it, that you actually get it. when you can see blades of artificial grass

in their full glory, you get it. or the first time you download a two-hour movie in two minutes, you get it. because once you've got it, you get it. now you can get fios for an amazing price online, just $79.99 a month with a two year agreement. act now and you'll also get $300 back. hurry. this holiday deal ends soon. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities go to got2getfios.com. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. once you've got it, you get it.